Willson Contreras was an interesting prospect coming into the 2016 season. With the Cubs sporting a pair of aging catchers in David Ross and Miguel Montero, as well as the existent questions regarding Kyle Schwarber‘s future behind the plate (even before the injury), he represented the best hope for stability at the position beyond 2016. Even then, it was widely assumed that his impact would be felt more in 2017 and beyond. How wrong we were.
Making his way to the big leagues in June, Contreras immediately made his presence known with a home run in the first at-bat of his career.